Thierry Henry has every right to take his time before deciding on his future, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said yesterday.

Arsenal captain Henry will come to the end of his contract in north London in the summer of 2007 and much speculation has been created over his next move. The 28-year-old France striker has said he will not decide whether to sign a new deal with Arsenal until the end of the season, leading to strong links with Spanish champions Barcelona.

"You have to accept when you arrive at the age of 29 it is your last contract and you ask what do I do now? It is healthy," Wenger said.

"I would not rush him into a decision because we don't want to put pressure on him," he said.

"The second thing is suggesting that Thierry is talking behind our backs to other clubs. I say that because I know Thierry well enough and that he would never do that behind our back.

"When we are ready, and when he is ready the decision will be made."